Strawberry Fields
by Sparkiebunny
Summary: The team is enjoying dinner at a restaurant when a recent case puts one of them in danger. When Tony awakens in the hospital, the events that follow surprise him.


Tony looked around at the smiling faces around the table. Gibbs was sitting directly in front of him, facing the window, while McGee, Ziva, and Abby sat on the sides of the table. Tony's back was facing the huge glass plane at the front of the building. Normally, Tony would have taken Gibbs's seat, as he loves looking at the city street lights at night, but it had been a long day, so he settled into the chair by the window without complaint.

Their entire week had been spent trying to track down a marine-killer (what else was new?). This guy was a real professional, though. He used a Longbow T-76 sniper rifle on every victim, from far enough away that he was never caught. The team did everything they could to get the guy and nearly had, but he managed to slip right through their fingers.

Their plan had been flawless. They used Gibbs as bait, knowing their killer would stop at nothing to kill an ex-marine. Their plan was to sneak up from behind and disable him before he got a shot off. He did get a shot off, however. It didn't hurt anyone, but it was enough to distract the team for long enough for his escape. Everyone was pretty dejected after the incident, but they all agreed a night off might do them good. Tony chose the restaurant, and there they were.

Tony couldn't help but smile as he looked at the faces of his team- his family. Being there with them…together, happy…It was moments like these that Tony lived for.

"So who's paying the tip?" Gibbs asked.

"I got it, Boss," Tony replied. His coat was draped over the back of his chair. He twisted around to grab his wallet out of the pocket. As he did, something outside the window caught his eye. In less than a second, Tony's instincts took over. As the tiny bullet shot through the glass, Tony leapt forward, sliding across the table. His body collided heavily with Gibbs's and the two went crashing to the floor. The last thing Tony's mind registered was pain and voices, before his entire world exploded into white.

**. . .**

Tony blinked blearily, shielding his face when the bright lights assaulted his eyes. When his pupils finally adjusted, he saw a room. It was completely white, with a bed (which he was laying in) and a chair. The chair was occupied by a woman whose black hair and clothing deeply contrasted with the room's light atmosphere. In fact, Tony himself felt light. _Usually when I wake up in the hospital, I feel so heavy and sluggish. This is a nice change._ He looked at the woman before him and croaked, "Abs?"

_"Tony!"_ she cried. Tony thought he hinted some panic in her voice…fear, almost. But he abandoned the thought the very next moment, as Abby sat beaming down at him. "About time you woke up! I've been sitting here for hours."

Tony looked around, trying to recall how he'd ended up in the hospital. Abby eyed him and cautiously asked, "Do you remember anything? From the restaurant?"

Tony closed his eyes, focusing on his memory. "Vaguely…I saw something outside the window. It looked like…a gun being fired. So I jumped across the table…That's all I remember. What happened?"

"You tackled Gibbs! With some ferocity, I might add. No wonder you played so much football. Seriously, you slammed into Gibbs so hard, I thought-"

"Abby," Tony said, cutting off her tangent.

"Right. Sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah…You tackled Gibbs and the two of you went crashing to the floor. You smashed your head off the ground really hard, got a concussion, and here you are."

"What about Gibbs? Is he ok? Did the sniper get away? Did he get any more rounds off?" Tony asked anxiously.

"Calm down, Tony. Gibbs is fine. Everyone is. As soon as the bullet hit the window, Ziva leapt into action. She grabbed her gun and shot the sniper. He's dead. It's all over, Tony."

Tony furrowed his brow, thinking hard. Ziva had shot at the sniper from God knows how far away, in the dark, and managed to hit him? _I mean, I know she's a good shot. Hell, she's a great shot. But… _A sudden observation interrupted Tony's thought process.

"Where are all the doctors?" he asked. The room was empty, except for Abby and himself. Normally there would be at least a nurse or orderly in the room by now. "There aren't any doctors in this hospital?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "Don't be so self-centered. Just because they aren't all around _you_, doesn't mean they aren't here."

Tony looked into the hallway. No doctors there either. He turned back to Abby, opening his mouth to say so, but suddenly, a woman in a white lab coat walked in. _That's weird. I could've sworn that hallway was empty a second ago. Maybe this concussion did more damage than I thought._ The idea slightly disturbed him, but he brushed off the feeling and looked at the doctor.

"Hello, Mr. DiNozzo. I'm Dr. Tassie. How are you feeling?" she asked kindly. Her eyes glinted playfully as she smiled at Tony. He returned her smile with one of his 1000-watt beams.

"I'm feeling a lot better now that you're here," he said. The doctor giggled flirtatiously as she checked the chart in front of her. Abby rolled her eyes. After a few minutes, Tony looked at the doctor. "So what's the verdict, doc?"

"Call me Fan. Yes, like Scrooge's little sister. Don't hold it against me," she said with a wink. "As far as I can see, you're good to be discharged. We didn't expect too much damage, as your concussion was only mild. With a little rest, you'll be good to go. Providing you have someone to monitor you for any change, of course."

Tony's jaw dropped. "Discharged? So soon? So _easily_? Does Gibbs know about this?" he asked, shocked.

With timing only Gibbs could execute, Gibbs strolled through the door. "You bet your ass I know, DiNozzo. Who do you think OK'd it?"

Tony looked at his boss suspiciously. Gibbs raised his eyebrows. "You got a problem, DiNozzo?" he said impatiently. Tony opened his mouth, still slightly stunned. "Uh, no, Boss. Not at all. The opposite, actually. This is too good to be true!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes, saying, "Come on, DiNozzo. We haven't got all day." Tony nodded, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. "I'll wait outside," Gibbs said, exiting the room.

Tony pushed himself up, ignoring the wave of dizziness the movement caused. He walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. _What the hell am I supposed to wear?_ He thought to himself curiously. His eyes scanned the small area. There wasn't even a robe. He sat heavily on the side of the tub, closing his eyes and running his hands through his hair. When he reopened his eyes, he saw something he hadn't seen before. Perched on the side of the sink was a small pile of neatly folded garments, along with a pair of sneakers. _How did I miss that?_ He thought worriedly. _Apparently this concussion is worse than I thought._

Shaking his head, Tony began putting on the clothes. They were the same ones he'd been wearing at the restaurant. They'd been washed. _Thanks, Abs_, Tony thought, knowing his friend had done it while he was unconscious. He walked out of the room and sat on the bed, putting on his shoes. After he finished tying the laces, he took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

_"Open your eyes, DiNozzo!"_ Tony heard Gibbs shout urgently. Tony's eyes flew open, taking in the concern on Gibbs's face. He'd only closed his eyes for a second. What was with that look in Gibbs's eyes?

"Chill, Boss. I was only closing them for a second."

"I can see that, DiNozzo," Gibbs said. The concern was long gone, leaving Tony wondering if he'd seen it at all. "We just don't have time for it right now. The team's waiting for you." Tony sighed and followed Gibbs out the door.

They walked into the waiting room, where Abby had joined McGee and Ziva. The three were talking and stood up when Tony and Gibbs walked in.

"Hey, Tony," McGee said.

Tony smiled. "Hello, McGeek. How's it hangin'?"

"Pretty good. How are you?"

"You know me. I'm _always_ good." Tony turned to Ziva. "So I heard you hit the ultimate shot! Congrats. I gotta say, I'm a little awestruck. I knew you could shoot a gun, but that shot…it's nearly impossible!"

"I am a trained Mossad assassin. No shot is impossible for me."

"But we were at least 100 yards away, if not more. And it was almost pitch black-aside from the streetlights. And-"

"Hey," Gibbs interrupted. "You mind if we continue this conversation later? Tony-" Gibbs glared pointedly at his senior agent. "-needs his rest."

"Sorry, Boss," Tony said. He slid his hands into his pockets, and then swore. "I don't have my phone…Must have fallen out at the restaurant. Could I borrow yours, Boss? I just need to call a cab."

"Not happening. You're coming home with me."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Um, you sure about that, Boss? Didn't go so well the last time…"

"Did something in my tone make that sound like a suggestion?" Gibbs replied.

"No Boss, I just don't really think this is necess-"

"This isn't a negotiation, DiNozzo. Let's go." He nodded his head toward the door. Tony's shoulders slumped in defeat and he sauntered out. Gibbs waved to his team and led Tony to the car.

They were both silent as they got in. Tony stared out the window, his mind a million miles away. Tony let the events of the day wash over him. It was a lot to take in. His mind hardly registered his surroundings, until Gibbs said gently, "Hey. _Stay with me, DiNozzo._"

Tony looked up, confused by the gentleness in Gibbs's voice. There was something else, too…desperation? "Huh?" Tony said unintelligently.

Gibbs looked at Tony impatiently. "I said, stay with me. You look like you're barely here, and I'm not gonna drag you out of the car, so let's go."

It took Tony a moment to understand. Looking outside, he realized they had pulled into Gibbs's driveway. "Sorry, Boss," he muttered, getting out of the car.

"Don't apologize, DiNozzo," Gibbs said simply. He opened the front door and the two of them walked inside.

"You get yourself settled. I'll start dinner," Gibbs said. He walked into the kitchen. Tony sat on the couch, thoroughly exhausted. His mind was still reeling from the day's events. He buried his face in his hands, trying to collect his thoughts.

Gibbs walked in, eyeing Tony curiously. "You all right, DiNozzo?"

Tony looked up. "I guess. I don't know…Everything's happening so fast. Nothing's making sense. First, Ziva magically kills the sniper, no questions asked. Then, there's a hospital without doctors, but suddenly there _are_ doctors. Next thing I know, I'm being discharged, and you're ok with it. And I'm seeing and hearing things-_emotions_-that aren't there. Then I'm _not_ seeing things that _are_ there…Nothing is making sense. I feel like I'm missing something…"

Gibbs raised his eyebrows, pushing Tony to go further. Tony examined his boss's face through narrowed eyes. "I _am_ missing something, aren't I?"

Gibbs gave a stoic nod, and suddenly Tony was hit with an onslaught of memories. The recollections hit him like a wave, dousing him in images and sounds.

_Flash. Dive. Shattered glass. White hot pain._

_Abby's voice cries out. She sounds so distressed…Someone's at his side. He can feel their hands probing his body. Gibbs's voice whispers urgently in his ear._

Then, he thought of all that had occurred in the last few hours.

_No doctors, then doctors. One doctor actually. Dr. Fan Tassie. Fan Tassie…_

_Smiling at Gibbs…'This is too good to be true!'_

The words resonated in his head, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Too good to be true," he muttered. He looked into Gibbs's icy blue orbs. "It is, isn't it? This-," he said, motioning to the room around him, "All of this…none of it's real, is it?"

Gibbs smiled slightly. "Well, to quote a cult classic, 'Life is an illusion and reality is simply a figment of the imagination.'"

Tony smirked. "Now I know this isn't real. There is no way the real Jethro Gibbs would be quoting the Rocky Horror Picture Show."

They both laughed for a moment, before Tony looked at Gibbs again.

"So what is this exactly?" he asked, the unease in his voice betraying him. "Am I dreaming?"

Gibbs's face became serious and he slowly shook his head.

Closing his eyes, Tony fought hard to make sense of the mess of memories. _Pain…ripping pain…white-hot…_He opened his eyes, noticing that his previously clean white shirt was slowly becoming darker. A deep red stain was spreading across it, forming an irregular splotch on his chest.

"I was hit, wasn't I?" Tony asked quietly. It was more of a statement than a question. Gibbs merely nodded.

"I…how…can't…" Tony stuttered through gasping breaths. He couldn't speak. He couldn't get any air. Every attempt at expanding his lungs was met with a painful sting. He felt a hand on his shoulder and heard Gibbs say gently, "Breathe, Tony." Tony tried to obey, but felt sudden vertigo and collapsed to the floor. He could still hear Gibbs's voice above him, but it had a more panicked, urgent tone to it. _"Come on, Tony! Breathe!"_

He wrenched his eyes open as a sharp gasp erupted in his throat. His skin tingled as the air rushed into his oxygen-deprived lungs. His eyes wheeled around, attempting to regain his bearings. He was no longer in Gibbs's living room. He was on the floor of the restaurant. Gibbs's face was swimming above him, saying, "Atta-boy, DiNozzo. Just breathe. Ambulance will be here soon. You just gotta hold on."

The corners of Tony's mouth lifted and his eyes drooped blearily. "Knew something was…hinky," he said, his voice raspy. The team exchanged bewildered looks as the EMTs arrived and began loading Tony onto a stretcher.

Gibbs leaned down and whispered into Tony's ear. "Thanks for taking that bullet for me, DiNozzo. Do it again, and you'll be on desk duty for a month." He lightly slapped the back of Tony's head, bringing a smile to his senior agent's face.

_That_, Tony thought, _was definitely real_.

* * *

**AN1: Thanks for reading, everybody! I hope you enjoyed the story! And if you didn't…Sorry for wasting your time. I had the concept really clear in my head, but writing it down isn't as easy.**

**AN2: In case you were curious about the title, it's a reference to the Beatles' song, "Strawberry Fields Forever." One of my favorite lines says, **_**"Strawberry fields/Nothing is real."**_** Probably no one got that reference but me. LOL. But if you did, Kudos!**


End file.
